Becca.
A lump formed in his throat as her smiling face entered his mind. So full of life. Until the day she fell ill.
Shaking his head, he stood and noticed his suitcase on the floor next the nightstand. He clenched his teeth together at the thought of Danica going out in the snow to bring his bag inside. He walked to the window, moved the curtain, and peered out at the blanket of white snow covering the ground and trees. At least it stopped snowing.
Turning from the window, he grabbed fresh pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt, then made his way to the kitchen where the delicious smells of breakfast beckoned him.
Danica stood at the stove flipping a pancake, dressed in a pair of black jeans that looked like they were painted on her long legs and a white turtleneck sweater that hung to mid-thigh. Her strawberry blond hair was braided down her back, revealing the scars peaking out of her sweater under her ear. He guessed she hid them from everyone.
Many burn victims he’d worked with hid their scars because the emotional ones were enough to deal with. They didn’t want the physical reminders. He should have known better than ask about them.
“I was working at the hospital in town, helping with a drug-addicted youth,” she said as she handed him a bottle of syrup and a plate with three pancakes.
“You don’t have to explain. It was insensitive of me to ask. I’m sorry.”
She smiled. “No, I’m sorry. I’m not used to strangers. Everyone in town knows and avoids talking about it.”
“Is that why you live here alone?”
She nodded. “They drove me crazy with concern and pity.”
He couldn’t help but think there was more to it, something she wasn’t saying. But he let it drop. It wasn’t his business.
“I don’t remember much. One minute we were talking the male down and the next he freaked out, then there was an explosion. I woke up ten days later, scars littering the right side of my body.” She turned back to the stove. The hesitation as she spoke told him she was leaving pieces out. Something his brothers and Sarah did when they were around humans.
They carefully planned every word to avoid alluding to the fact they were different.
Nev, you’re losing it.
“I lost my dad to a car accident five years ago and my fiancée a year later.” He wasn’t sure why he was telling her, but it felt good to talk to someone outside his family, he continued, “I turned to my work and away from my stepmother and brothers.”
She faced him now and held his gaze with the palest green eyes he’d ever seen. “I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged, trying to push away the pain that threatened to consume him. “I agreed to spend the holidays with my family, hoping it would heal some of the loss.”
“How did she die?”
A dull ache formed in his chest threatening to bring back the buried pain. “Becca had leukemia.
She died before a bone marrow donor was found.”
She reached over and covered his hand with her scarred one. “Oh, no.”
He absently stroked her palm with his thumb. “She was ill for a very long time. I took care of her the last year.”
She pulled her hand away. “That must have been hard.”
He nodded. “It wears you down, emotionally and physically. Her death was almost a…”
“A relief?”
He met her gaze and frowned. “That sounds horrible, but yes, in a way it was.”
“No, not really. She isn’t hurting any more. In a way she’s free.”
He smiled at her. She was right. That was exactly how he felt. He never talked about it to anyone, because he was afraid that they would judge him. That they would think he was a uncaring and selfish bastard. “Becca is free.”
Danica offered a smile, then asked, “What do you do?”
“I’m a psychiatrist. Started my own practice after Becca died.” He studied her as she poured syrup over her pancakes. She was the most exotic looking woman he’d ever seen. Tiny ribbons of reddish-blond hair left loose to frame her face teased him to touch them. Talking about Becca to her eased some of hurt he’d buried. “What about you?”
Her lashes lifted, revealing green irises. “I…was a heal…um, doctor.”
“Was?”
She nodded. “My sense of touch in my right hand isn’t what it used to be.”
“Surly, there are other things you can do and still practice.”
“That part of my life is over.” When he opened his mouth to speak, she held a hand up. “We should hurry. Blaine will want us there early so he can torture you before feeding you.”
He chuckled, catching the humor in her tone and the smile in her eyes. There was something captivating about this woman. He was determined to find out what.
The residents of Ashwood Falls buzzed around busy with preparations for the Winter Solstice festival. Danica parked the snowmobile in a small lot next to the community center and watched some leopard and wolf cubs throwing snowballs at each other. Nevan pulled up next to her and took off his helmet.
“They look like they’re having fun.”
She glanced at his face and then at his hands. “Don’t you dare.”
He waggled his brows. “I’ll give you a head start.”
Shit. He was seriously going to throw a snowball at her. She took off toward the park where the kids where playing, figuring she’d at least be a little safe. A solid ball of snow hit her in the back. She squealed, and the kids laughed.
“Oh, yeah?” She gathered some snow in her hands to form a small ball. The children scattered as she threw it. It hit one of the Russell twins in the bottom. The six-year-old yelped playfully, and he fell to the ground as if he’d been shot, landing in the snow on his back with his arms spread out straight from his little body. Danica laughed, and then she let out a yelp when the sting of a frozen ball hit her on the butt.
Whirling around, she quickly picked up more snow to form an adult-sized ball and hurled it at Nevan, hitting him in the chest. He fell to the ground, and fear shot through her. Shit. She forgotten to hold back. Rushing over to him, she checked for a pulse, and she hovered her left hand over his chest.
Suddenly, she was pulled down and flipped onto her back, Nevan’s smiling face inches from hers.
“Gotcha,” he said.
The rapid beats of her heart quickened to heavy thumps behind her ribcage at the thought of his lips touching hers. His pine-and-sage scent teased her muted sense of smell. He inched closer until a shadow fell over them.
They quickly stood to face the newcomer, and her happy mood turned sour. “Hello, Jared.”
“Good morning, Dani.” The alpha jaguar was dressed in his usual dress pants and button-up shirt underneath his black, unbuttoned wool jacket. Jared was very handsome with his sun-lightened brown hair and golden-brown eyes. He was the Packs’ legal advisor; a lawyer by human definition. He aided Keegan and Luna—the wolf’s Alpha female—in any, and all, legal issues that concerned the citizens of Ashwood Falls. He would be the perfect mate. But, Danica couldn’t find the spark. Her cat wanted nothing to do with him.
“Who’s your friend?”
Danica winced at the sharp undertone of his question. Please, don’t let him cause a scene. Not in front of the children. Taking a breath, she linked the fingers of her scarred hand with Nevan’s. “This is Nevan. Nevan, Jared.”
Squeezing her hand slightly, Nevan nodded. “Nice to meet you.” He held out his free hand to the cat.
Ignoring the offer, Jared met her stare. “I take it you’re on your way to see Keegan.”
“Yes. Blaine and Shay invited us over for a late lunch.”
Jared narrowed his eyes, and his nostril flared a fraction. “I see.”